157 Books on Dyscalculia

Dyscalculia & Definitions of Learning Disabilities

DSM-V: Specific Learning Disorders (SLDs) are defined in The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), published by the American Psychiatric Association. SLD is defined as a "Specific Learning Disorder-- with impairment in Mathematics (315.1), Reading (315.0), or Written Expression (315.2). SLD is "a neurodevelopmental disorder of biological origin manifested in learning difficulties and problems in acquiring academic skills markedly below age level and manifested in the early school years, lasting for at least 6 months, not attributed to intellectual disabilities, developmental disorders, or neurological or motor disorders."

Young children struggle with left and right, directionality, counting reliably, number-amount associations, memory of numbers and quantitative information, memory of instructions, short-term memory (working memory), time awareness, telling time, time management, schedules, organization, sequencing, procedures for arithmetic, place value, memory of addition and multiplication facts, memory of math rules, mental arithmetic, visualization, name-face memory, visual memory, and visual-spatial discrimination, interpretation, processing, and memory. They make unconscious errors with numbers and symbols when reading, listening, thinking (reasoning), copying, writing, and speaking. When doing math, they think slowly and carefully, and operate without confidence. When tasked in their deficit areas, children may demonstrate agitation, distress, anxiety, anger, avoidance, and resistance.

Children grow into dyscalculic adults who exhibit the same problems, but become better at hiding and managing their difficulties.

What does US Federal Education Law say about Specific Learning Disability?

In 2015, 29% of 15-year-olds in the United States of America, scored deficient (in the lowest 10%) on international tests of mathematical literacy- that's 3 in every 10 students below proficiency Level 2- worse than half (35) of the 69 countries tested. Only 6%, scored above 90% proficiency (Level 5), worse than 36 countries. Source: NCES, 2016, p.23.